Improved paddle-wheel



embrace closely their ends.

Nrrnn STATES PATENT. OFrIcn-.1ij- I ALONZO r. BOON, OF GALEsBUBG,iLLiNois.

IMPROVED PADnl l-z-Wl-IEEI..y

speeincanon formingpart of Letters PatentNanoAs. dated Novembergsca To@ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO T. BOON, of Galesburg, in the county of Knox,in the State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement inPaddle-Wheels for Steamers; and I hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and ofwhich'- Figure 1 is atop View of my improved feathering paddle-wheel;Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same, showing the positions of theseveral buckets A A A therein in the revolutions ofthe wheel; Fig. 4, aside view of one ofthe buckets A 5 Fig. 3, a detached rear view, andshowing more clearly the manner of combining the same with the arms B Bofthe wheel.

Similar letters indicate like parts in each of the drawings.

The nature of my invention consists in a simple and novel mode ofcausing the paddles to feather as they enter and leave the water,thereby saving an unnecessary expenditure of power in their action, andalsoin animproved manner of securing the buckets to the arms of thewheels, by means of which they can be readily detached therefrom for thepurpose of repair or replacement.

The buckets A A of my improved wheel are constructed in two pieces, aand b, arranged between metallic side plates, c c, Figs. 3 and 4. Theinner sides or portions, a, of the buck ets are rigidly retained at asuitable angle (from thirty to forty degrees) relative to a planetangential to the circumference of the wheel, by means of parallelflanges d d and d d', Figs. l and 3, formed upon the side plates, c c.The stationary pieces a a of the buckets are slipped down between theseflanges,which The outer pieces or iioats, b b, of the buckets are madewider than the stationary pieces a a, and are pivoted at each endbetween the metallicside plates,

c c, by means of suitable pivot-pins, which are received withinbearing-apertures in the said plates. The revolution of these pivotedsides or iioats b b of the buckets upon their axis in one direction isarrested by means of stops e e, Figs. l and 3, formed upon the sideplates, cc, and in the other by striking the outer edges of the innerstationary sides, a ce, of the buckets, forming therewith, when incontact, an angle more or less obtuse.. The inner edges of these pivotedsides and the outer edges of the staltionary sides of the buckets areeach (and if made of wood) so beveled as to form a close joint when thusbrought in contact with each other.

The side plates, c c, are furnished with outwardly-projecting ears g gat either end thereof, forming loops to embrace the arms B B of thewheel, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The loops thus formed are closed bymeans of small bolts or rivets o o, Figs. 3 and 4, and are tightened andheld securely upon the arms B B of the wheel by the use of metallicelastic strips E E, Figs. 3 and4, leaving Wedges s s formed upon eitherend with their points turned inwardly. These strips E E are of such alength as that when placed loosely upon the outer edges of the arms BB,between the projecting ears g g of the side plates, c c, the wedgeswill just enter under the rivets c o, which unite the ears and close theloops formed thereby. When, therefore, the center of the strips is bentoutwardly by means of set-screws D D, the Wedges s s are made to slideinwardly, and thus bind and clamp the arms iirmly under these rivets o oin the loops. the screws D D the wedges s s are readily loosened, sothat theloops and side plates,with the attached buckets, may be readilyslipped off the arms B B.

In order to causethe pivoted sides or floats v b b of my improvedbuckets Av A to enter the water in an active position, and to leave thesame without lifting the water against which it has been impelled, Iattach to the inner.

edges of each otl these iloatsb b projecting pins m m, Figs. l and 2, sothat in the revolutions of the wheel they will, as the buckets enter thewater, strike against a suitable curved surface, G,.Fig. 2, formed uponthe side of the boat, either by means of a curved rod, as illustrated inthe drawings, or other suitable device.

results attained are powerful and effective.

As the bucket descends the pin m striking against this curved surface Gwill cause the iioat b to turn gradually upon its pivot, thusmaintaining it in a vertical position to enter the water edge foremostinstead of striking it flatly with its broad surface. So soon, however,as the bucket is immersed, the iioat is By a reverse movement of Theaction thus produced-is simple and the released, and its entire broadsurface is, by the revolution of` the wheel, brought to bear fully inconnection With'the stationary side of the bucket upon the water beforeit until, as`

it begins again to ascend, the projecting pin m will again strike thecurved rod G, and by keeping the oat in a nearly vertical position causeit to feather inleaving the water.

Having thus fully described my improve ment in paddle-wheels,what Iclaim therein as as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

l. The combination of the double -sided buckets A A with the arms B B ofmy improved paddle-wheel by means of the metallic side plates, c c,embracing-loops g g, and

